The dream of a lonely hero

The executioner held a sword with a ghost head in his hand. He raised the sword and dropped it. Thirty-six human skulls fell to the ground, and blood was sprinkled all over the ground.

The Jin King's envoys Liu Wei, Yan Yun and Yuanda were all shocked. Yang Mao and Mi Chao were so frightened that their faces turned pale. The primary school officer pointed at Liu Wei and others and said,"I'll report back to you all! Liu Wei, Yan Yun, Yuanda, Yang Mao, and Mi Chao are the envoys of the King of Jin."

Guo Jinchong said to the tied Yang Mao and Mi Chao,"How dare you? Roaring at the barracks and insulting me——"Yangmao and Michao were so frightened that they peed their pants and flew to the sky. They did not hear what Guo Jin said. Soldiers had already come up and knocked Yang Mao and Mi Chao down. Their thick-armed military sticks hit their buttocks with a bang. Yang Mao and Mi Chao were so frightened that they didn't even cry.

Liu Chang carefully stepped forward and saluted, and said:"Liu Liu, a junior official under the King of Jin, has met Lord Dushuai."

Guo Jin said:"What do you do for the King of Jin?

" Liu Chang said:"Can Dushuai take a step to speak?"

Guo Jin said:" It's not good to do good deeds without backing others. If it's a good thing, say it to your face. If it's a bad thing, don't talk about it."

Liu Chang thought to himself that he was so majestic that even the officials were not afraid of him. How dare his subordinates talk nonsense, and said:"They are all handsome. Your Excellency, for your country's defense of the country's borders, has emboldened the enemy. You have slept in the open in the frost, and your hard work has yielded great results. The King of Jin has given you two thousand taels of gold as a special gift to the Commander-in-Chief. Please accept it!" He then ordered his entourage to open the box, revealing a dazzling ingot of yellow gold.

Guo Jin glanced at it and said to his subordinates:"See you off!"

Liu Chang said hurriedly:"Slow down! You are all handsome! This - this is a gift from the King of Jin!"

Guo Jin said coldly:"Guo only knows that there are The Emperor, I don’t know that there is a King Jin." He turned around and left.

Liu Chang was rejected by him thousands of miles away before he asked to borrow troops. He was anxious about how to deliver an errand to the King of Jin when he returned, saying:"You are all handsome! You are all handsome! King Jin has important matters."

Guo Jin stopped and said, He turned around and said,"Please speak." Liu Chang quickly took out the handwriting of King Jin and handed it to him. Guo Xijin started reading, and after a while, he said:"Liu Chang and other envoys sent by the King of Jin will go to the post house to rest. I will discuss it with the generals before talking." Liu Chang went down to Shilingguan Post House under the guidance of his soldiers.

Guo Jin returned to the Commander-in-Chief's Mansion and summoned Tian Qin, the judge of the deployment department of Xishan City, Niu Sijin, the commander of the former army, and Guo Yun, the commander of the first battalion of the former army, to discuss the matter of the King of Jin borrowing troops to attack the Tianlang Mountain Golden Spear Club..

Tian Qin said:"The Golden Gun Club has become more and more crazy in recent years. What are you doing for heaven? Looting warehouses, looting warehouses, killing people and stealing goods are undoubtedly bandits. It's time to deal with them." Tian Qin is the capital of Xishan. The old subordinate who deployed Guo Jin was once transferred out of the Forbidden Army and demoted to the command of the Jinzhou Xiang Army because of Guo Jin's dismissal. Guo Jin came back and returned to his command.

Niu Sijin said:"The Golden Spear Club should be dealt with, but it should not be helped by King Jin. Isn't it enough that Du Shuai was squeezed out by King Jin? Besides, Dingzhou is not Du Shuai's defense area. King Jin doesn't always rely on himself. If you can rely on yourself, let him toss you."

Guo Jin said:"Both of them believe that the current Golden Spear is unpopular and should be cut off. As a military general of the imperial court, I have to do my duty. The original discord between me and the King of Jin was just a personal grudge. Now how can we use personal power to dethrone public service!"

Guo Yun said hurriedly:"Commander my father! Without the generals of Xifu, how can our Xishan army and horses leave the flood areas privately!"

Guo Jin said:"As long as it is beneficial to the emperor, the country and the people, I have been afraid of it as a father. What!" said to Tian Qin and the former army commander Niu Sijin,"Judge Tian and Niu Du commander will organize the army and horses tomorrow, and will follow Liu Chang to Dingzhou the day after to help the King of Jin wipe out the Tianlang Mountain Golden Spear Association." Tian Qin led Retreat with fate.

At the Shilingguan Posthouse, Yan Yun had been thinking about paying homage to his benefactor, Guo, and had not eaten a few bites of dinner. Upon seeing this, the postman who was waiting for him said,"It's the fault of the superiors that the food is not good. Xishan Capital Deployment Department, from the top to the fifth rank, are all handsome." This is the standard for all soldiers from rank to level."

Yan Yun said:"It's not that the food is bad," he was prevaricating. Thinking about Guo Jin, as a high-ranking official of the fifth rank who is in charge of one side, he can share the joys and sorrows with the soldiers. Just as he was about to go out, the postman reported that an old friend from Jinzhou was visiting, and then two military officials walked in one after the other. The one in the front is Tian Qin, the former commander of the Jinzhou Xiang Army, and the one in the back is Wang Xian, the former deputy chief of the Jinzhou Xiang Army. They all have smiles on their faces. This Tian Qin was also Yan Yun's benefactor. In Jinzhou, Yan Yun almost lost his life because of Dai Yanfeng. Tian Qin secretly let him go for Guo Jin's sake and gave him fifty taels of silver as a gift. Yan Yun hurriedly bowed and saluted, saying:"My benefactor, Tian Qian, please bow to me." Tian Qin hurriedly helped him up and said,"I don't dare to accept it! I don't dare to accept it!" After greeting each other and reminiscing about the past, the three of them sat down. Tian Qin gave Yan Yun one hundred taels of gold, but Yan Yun was not willing to accept it. Tian Qin said:"Captain Yan is now the King of Jin's favorite, and Tian really can't match him."

Yan Yun said in fear:"My benefactor is here! Yan Yun is just a pawn under the King of Jin, and my benefactor is the royal court." Sixth-grade life officer, how do you say clinging?"

Wang Xiandao:"Both Captain Yan and Judge Tian are outsiders. Stop being polite. It's boring to live in a world without human relationships. Don't let Judge Tian's good intentions go down. Accept it. Let's go!"

Yan Yun's refusal to accept Tian Qin's gold was unkind. Accepting it was contrary to his heart. He was really in a dilemma. He blushed anxiously and said,"Judge Tian has not repaid his great kindness. How could Yan Yun accept such a heavy gift? Courtesy!"

Wang Xian said:"Since we recognize Judge Tian as a benefactor, we should not be polite. Please leave Judge Tian in the school captain's office!"

Tian Qin said:"Wang Xian, don't say any more. My benefactor! If Tian Qin can afford it, just give it to him. Don't make things difficult for the captain."

Tian Qin and Wang Xian sang in harmony, forcing Yan Yun to a dead end. If he didn't accept it, he would be ungrateful. Yan Yun saw that Tian Qin's face was slightly displeased and said:"Then - then, Yan Yun will keep it for the time being."

Tian Qin was very happy and chatted for a while before getting up to leave.

Wang Xian said with a smile:"Since the captain can keep it for the judge, you should also take the trouble to help the junior officials keep these fifty taels of gold. A mere gift is not respectful!"

Yan Yun said:"No, no, no!"

Wang Xian looked like one. He looked aggrieved and said:"Oh! I don't blame the captain, I just blame Wang Xian for his humble background and being only a ninth-grade commander. How can the captain think highly of him! It's really hard to hold a mountain with short arms and a low status. It's all my fault. Wang Xian is overestimating his abilities!"

These words aroused Yan Yun's pity and sympathy. He forgot that Wang Xian was arrogant in front of his subordinates. He was not from a humble background, and said:"Commander Wang has exaggerated! Yan Yan Yun Quan will just keep it for you."

After Tian Qin gave the gold to Yan Yun, he prepared two hundred taels of gold to send to Liu Chang. Liu Chang looked at the gold and said with a cold expression:"Who doesn't know that Xishan is so rich that the taxes of the counties and counties under its jurisdiction don't have to be turned over to the imperial court and are completely controlled by him. Not to mention, he can still do business, let alone pay taxes to the imperial court. Why are you just fighting for gold every day? To Mr. Tian who is a sixth-grade judge, these two hundred taels of gold are nothing!"

Tian Qin said:"Sir Liu! Xishan is so rich that it is aimed at the coach Guo Jin. , We, the subordinates, can’t even drink soup. Last year, the Zuo Army commanded the envoy to take five thousand guans, but Guo Jin wiped it out." She shed tears,"How can we live as subordinates!" I was secretly happy in my heart. It is not difficult for Liu Chang, who dares to ask for bribes, to climb the tree of King Jin.

Liu Wei gritted his teeth and said:"Guo Jin has made so much money that even ten princes' salaries cannot keep up with him. But he pretends to be simple and shabby. He looks like a simple man but hides cunning and deceit, and is as stubborn as jade and treacherous as he is loyal."!" I was jealous of Guo Jin's money in my heart, but it was hard to extort even a penny from him.

Tian Qin said:"A traitor looks like a loyal person! A traitor looks like a loyal person! Mr. Liu has clearly noticed that Guo Jin is running the army with an iron fist as a pretense. He is domineering and murderous in Xishan. Don't say that the soldiers are just the sixth-grade generals who kill at the request. Today. Did you see that he killed every one of the thirty-six forbidden troops sent by the emperor? It brought shame on the emperor!"

Liu Chang was extremely dissatisfied with Guo Jin in his heart, but kept his expression and said:"Don't slander. , how could Judge Tian, ​​who was Guo Dushuai's assistant general, slander the senior officials like this?"

Tian Qin said in horror:"Master Liu knows how to see fire, how dare Tian Qin deceive him! Guo Jin has different ambitions and hides the dragon robe secretly!"

Liu Chang couldn't help it! Startled, he dropped the teacup in his hand and said,"Do you know the consequences of falsely accusing an official?"

Tian Qin said,"Tian Qin will be beheaded if he makes any false accusations. I have seen Long in Guo Jin's back hall." Robe."

Liu Chang grabbed his wrist and said,"You are really not afraid of death!"

Tian Qin said,"The dragon robe is hanging in his back hall."

Liu Chang broke into cold sweat all over his body. He kept wiping the sweat from his forehead and whispered:"Don't say too much, don't say too much!" After a moment of silence, he said,"Guo Jin is willing to send troops to assist the King of Jin in annihilating the grass bandits in Tianlang Mountain." ?"

Tian Qin said:"Guo Jin ordered his subordinates to lead twenty battalions of troops and horses to rush to the aid of the King of Jin."

Liu Zhang was confused and said:"Guo Jin only had twenty battalions of more than 10,000 men, and they rushed out to attack the three passes of Xishan Mountain. Aren't the Seventy-Two Villages empty? What if the Khitan and Northern Han invaders - this, isn't this an opening of the door to welcome the thieves?"

Tian Qin smiled secretly and said:"Hey! Guo Jin has more than twenty battalions of troops and horses?"

Zhang said:"Then - how many troops and horses does he have?"

Tian Qin said:"Forty battalions."

Liu Zhang said in surprise:"More than 20,000 people!"

Tian Qin said:"Not bad."

Liu Zhang thought for a moment, Tian Qin said:"He - how dare he - dare to recruit soldiers privately!"

Tian Qin said:"There is nothing in the world that he dare not do! Mr. Liu, how far do you think this is from rebellion?"

At this time, Liu Zhang didn't want to Knowing too much is very dangerous, so returning to Dingzhou early is the best policy.

It is said that Yan Yun saw off Wang Xian at the post house and hurriedly went to the Du Shuai Mansion to pay homage to Guo Jin. Guo Jin received him in the back hall of the handsome manor, accompanied by his adopted son Guo Yun. Guo Jin has always been cold and cold towards others, but he is uncharacteristically friendly towards Yan Yun, chatting and laughing because he loves talents like a thirsty man and thinks Yan Yun is a rare and brave person. Guo Yun and Yan Yun are close in age, and they have endless topics to talk about. It is natural to compete in martial arts. Guo Jin stood aside and watched with interest. Guo Yun and Yan Yun competed in swordsmanship. After more than ten rounds of fighting, Guo Yun fell behind and said:"Alas! I have not made any progress in these years of fighting on the battlefield. I can't go more than twenty rounds under Brother Yan. Ashamed!"

Yan Yun said:"Young Commander, don't say that! Yan Yun only knows how to fight and kill, how can he compare with the Young Marshal, who defends the border and kills the enemy and contributes to the country! Yan Yun is envious!"

Guo Yun said:"That's easy to say. Easy to say! As long as you are willing to come to Xishan, it will be effortless for you to kill the enemy and make meritorious deeds. I am willing to give you the post of captain of the first battalion of the former army. My father is also very happy!"

Guo Jin interjected:"Yun'er Don't talk nonsense! Yan Yun was on duty before the arrival of the King of Jin, and he was also serving the imperial court."

Guo Yun persuaded Yan Yun to stay after hearing what his father said was not good. He changed the subject and said:"Brother Yan! Last month, my father was on the white horse. Ling fought fiercely with Di Lie, the King of Ji of Liao State, and defeated the Liao army and captured Di Lie's Baodiao Bow. It was such a good bow. I can only pull it for half a month. If you can pull it for a full moon, I will treat you to a drink."

Yan Yun said:"I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint the young marshal."

Guo Yun said:"I haven't seen you for a few years and you have become so humble. Let's go!" He dragged him into the deep back hall of the marshal's house to get the precious eagle bow.

Guo Jin smiled and said nothing.

Guo Yun and Yan Yun chatted while walking.

Yan Yun said:"The imperial court ordered that generals who command troops outside are not allowed to bring children. How can the young marshal follow the commander-in-chief to the side court?"

Guo Yundao said:"We haven't seen each other for several years. Brother Yan knows the imperial order like the back of his hand."

Yan Yun said."I don't dare, I heard about it occasionally."

Guo Yun said:"The Holy Father has great trust in the Commander-in-Chief. Every time the Commander-in-Chief returns to Beijing to meet the Holy Father, the Holy One will ask the Commander-in-Chief to take the family with him, and the Commander-in-Chief always refuses."

Yan Yun said. He said:"Then why did you take the young marshal with you?"

Guo Yun whispered:"I am not my father's marshal's biological son. If my father marshal hears this, he will definitely say that I have no conscience."

The two of them entered the deep back hall without realizing it. The servant stirred up the lamp. When Yan Yun saw a dragon robe hanging on the wall facing the door, he was so frightened that he almost screamed. He thought, hiding the dragon robe secretly is a crime of conspiracy! Guo Jin is his benefactor whom he admires and a hero of the imperial court's border defense. Could he have two ambitions? While he was thinking about it, Guo Yun had already taken the precious eagle bow from the side room and said,"Come on, brother Yan opens this bow in front of my father, the commander." He dragged him to the back hall of the commander's mansion to meet Guo Jin.

Yan Yun was full of suspicion and held the bow blankly. Guo Yun repeatedly urged him to draw his bow. He condensed all his doubts and worries into a huge force and thrust it straight into his arms. At this moment, he did not regard this bow as a bow, but as a traitor to the court. With a"click", the precious eagle bow was pulled and broken. Guo Yun was stunned, and after a moment, he complained:"You - why did you break the precious eagle bow captured by the father?" Yan Yun looked dull and did not say a word of apology.

Guo Yun hurriedly dragged Yan Yun to plead guilty to Guo Jin, saying:"Father, Commander! It's all the children's fault. I shouldn't have asked Yan Yun to try your treasured bow. Please punish me, Commander!"

Guo Jin saw Yan Yun holding the treasure eagle. He was surprised when he pulled the bow, and after a while, he laughed loudly,"Haha! What a Yan Yun with outstanding physical strength. None of the generals in my tent had their bows fully drawn, but you pulled it."

Yan Yun seemed not to have heard him. After receiving the praise, he said:"Excuse me, Commander-in-Chief! The Holy Father has treated you well, so why should you let down His grace?"

Guo Yun said angrily:"Yan Yun, you are crazy! You have no respect for your elders and dare to question your father-in-law like this! You are relying on the King of Jin Do you want to support you? Let me tell you that my father-in-law only recognizes the Holy Emperor and not the King of Jin!"

Guo Jin waved his hand to Guo Yun to stop him and said:"Yan Yun! If I fail to live up to the Holy Grace, what will you do?"

Yan Yun He said:"Dushuai is Yan Yun's benefactor, but Dushuai wants to rebel against the court, and Yan Yun will never dethrone the public for personal gain!"

Guo Jin said:"Even if you have ten thousand enemies, can you get out of my Dushuai's mansion?"

Yan said Yun said:"Yan Yun has no other choice but to die to serve the country!"

Guo Jin looked up to the sky and laughed, saying:"Haha! He is so loyal and brave at such a young age, so respectable! This is my blessing for the Song Dynasty!"

Yan Yun pressed closer and asked,"As a high-ranking official of the imperial court, why do you hide the dragon robe privately?"

Guo Jin smiled calmly and said,"Okay! I have a selfless heart and the world is broad. If you don't do anything wrong, why should you be afraid of ghosts?" Door!" He turned to Guo Yun and said,"Yan Yun is devoted to the royal family and serves the country with all his heart. This is your example! Don't get divorced just because of a bow. If you want your father not to be angry, reconcile with Yan Yun as before."

Guo Jin What he said made Monk Yan Yunru Zhanger confused and confused.

Guo Yundao said:"My father is so forgiving, how can Yun'er dare to dwell on the past." He took Yan Yun's hand and said,"Let's go, let's test our archery skills again." They walked side by side to the military training ground.

Guo Jin looked at Yan Yun's back and was very pleased.

On the third day, Xishan capital deployed judge Tian Qin and former army commander Niu Sijin to lead 20 battalions of 10,000 soldiers together with Liu Wei, Yanyun, Yuanda, Yangmao and Michao to Dingzhou. They arrived in Dingzhou ten days later. On the outskirts of the state, Chai Yuxi, the palace commander sent by the king of Jin, was waiting to convey the king's will. Xishan soldiers were stationed on the outskirts of Dingzhou. Tian Qin followed Chai Yuxi to Dingzhou to meet him. Tian Qin temporarily handed over the Xishan army and horses to Niu Sijin, the commander of the former military capital, and took the commander Wang Xian with him to Dingzhou City. Liu Wei, Yanyun, Yuanda, Yangmao and Michao also entered the city to pay homage to the King of Jin.

That night Tian Qin knew that Liu Zhang loved money, so he prepared two hundred taels of gold when he returned. When the army left the Xishan territory, he quietly gave it to Liu Zhang, who naturally accepted it. Tian Qin also prepared a jade belt inlaid with precious stones and asked him to deliver it to the king, and Liu Chang agreed.

Jin Wang Zhao Guangyi received Tian Qin and Wang Xian in the back hall of Dingzhou Yamen, accompanied by Liu Chang and Chai Yuxi. Liu Chan said:"Your Highness! Guo Jin is domineering and does not take His Highness seriously at all. He beat Yangmao and Michao to pieces even before he entered his handsome mansion."

The King of Jin was silent. Chai Yuxi said:"Then why does Guo Jin have such a short memory? He was dismissed from the army five years ago and spent some time at home without work. The scars have healed and he has forgotten the pain!"

Liu Chang said:"Your Highness! Guo Jin is planning to rebel."